Children of Two Worlds
by KHB123
Summary: Deleted scenes, flashbacks, and maybe AU one-shots in "The Lost Dunedain" of Maia, Kyle, and Lori Dainson's adventures in Middle-Earth, including some one-shots of their childhood in Texas.
1. Introduction

Hi, everyone! This is a collection of one-shots that are mostly deleted scenes from my first fanfic "The Lost Dunedain" for mostly my OC characters before and during their time in Middle-Earth (possibly, after;)

For those of you reading "The Lost Dunedain," I first want to say thank you all for the follows and favorites. I am so amazed about how many of you are enjoying my story so far. Maia, Kyle, and Lori Dainson is a part of me, but they are also a part of you in many ways because they are young and human, while also modern, openminded, and independent. You can choose which one is your favorite, because their different personalities and characteristic created an equal balance between them. Their pictures are in the profile on the left side, along with some Middle-Earth friends of ours:)

I can't wait to pull up the unwritten scenes in TLD. These chapters are going to be labeled before or in-between chapters in TLD, but I'll give you a heads-up ahead of time. This whole thing is basically just a pile of one-shots in random order, so check the names of the chapters if you want to know where and when it takes place.

For those of you who haven't read TLD yet, I suggest you do that before reading this. Otherwise, it's **SPOILER ALERT** for y'all.

When the one-shots come, I hope you enjoy them:)

I don't own The Hobbit or any of J.R.R Tolkien's works. He rocks!

Your pal,

 **KHB123**


	2. Tiny Hobbits

**This is during Chapter 2 "In a Hole in the Ground" when the Dainsons first enter Hobbiton and start asking around.**

* * *

 **Tiny Hobbits**

"What's Hobbiton?" asked Lori, as the three started walking across the bridge. "Is that in New Zealand?"

"No, it doesn't even exist!" said Kyle, frustrated. "It sounds like something out of freaking nursery rhymes! You know what? I think that munchkin was messing with us! They could all be playing us!"

"Kyle, there's like over a hundred of these people here, and little kids!" Maia pointed out, gesturing at the people surrounding them. The children were puny, tinier than Lori, looking absolutely adorable with their curly tops and little hairy feet. "I don't know what going on either, but I really don't think this is all a game!"

The "people" were eyeing up at them nervously, attempting to stay as far away from them as possible like rabbits from their holes. The market was very cheery, full of foods, ribbons, silk, flowers, animals, hats, clothing, wood, silverware, baskets, wine, tea sets, and much more. Most of the men were dressed in different coats or vests with brass buttons, overalls, scarves, and sometimes with straw or tall hats. The women were all in dresses decorated spring colors or flowery designs, some wearing aprons, some with fancy hat topped with large feathers or flowers, some with ribbons, and some with straw hats of their own. For a moment, Maia couldn't decide whether they matched the style of Victorian England, or the world of Little Bo Peep.

The children were mini versions of the adults, all looking like happy toddlers as they played wild games with the undeniable innocence and cheerfulness that Maia saw many times on Lori's face every day since she was born. Unlike the adults, however, the children either stared at the bigger people with wide-eyed curiosity, or smiled because there were the new people in their small village.

There were two things that all the little people had in common: curly hair and large bare, hairy feet. Oh, and their ears were slightly sharper, Maia noticed with a start. Were they supposed to be elves? What with the hairy feet, then?

Everything would have looked perfect if not for the many eyes on the three humans walking uneasily through their market. They were either suspicious, uneasy, scornful, or just plain curious. Some shook their heads in disapproval, some looked away to ignore them, and many others scurried away before they got close.

"Not very welcoming, are they?" grumbled Kyle, eyeing at them. "I suddenly feel like were in the Suburbs." Lori had pressed close to his hip, suddenly looking shy and less confident.

"Yep, typical small-town people," agreed Maia. She bit her lip, feeling nervous. She hated being stared at, being the center of attention. But she straightened up and took deep breath. "So, who should we start asking first?"

They all looked toward the butcher stand, a beefy hobbit staring back at them. With one swipe he chopped off three fish heads, making Lori turn pale.

"Not him," muttered Kyle, pulling Lori away. He looked around, sweeping a hand through his unruly hair in frustration. "It looks like a lot of people are giving us the stink-eye. You sure we can't just camp outside?"

"But we don't have a tent and sleeping bags!" protested Lori innocently.

"C'mon, Ky," said Maia, elbowing her brother. "You're more social than I am. I think you can handle a bunch a little munchkins. Look..." She thumbed over at the flower stand, run by a plump little women in a straw hat, "I'll start asking over there and..." She squinted over the crowd before pointing at an old man leaning over a bench with a jug in his lap, "You go ask that guy. Try to see if he knows anybody who let us stay overnight."

Kyle gave her a look. "Why do _I_ get the drunk dude? _You_ talk to the drunk dude!"

Maia threw up her hands. "Just ask anyone near that inn, will you? Maybe the staff can offer a free room or we can trade work for a room. I don't know! Just ask around."

"What about me?" squeaked Lori up at them, bouncing on her toes and hugging her teddy bear eagerly. "Does that mean I have to talk to strangers?"

"Yeah- _no!_ Nice try, Doe-eyes!" Kyle ruffled his little sister's hair before looking over and noticing a bunch of tiny munchkin children run and squealing around the markets, their little bare feet pitter-pattering around the dusty roads and grassy fields with ribbons and flowers in their hands. "Geez, I swear those little kids are the size of your American girl dolls, Maia."

"Not that small," scoffed Maia, though her eyes glittered at the precious sight. If anything, the little children looked like living, breathing porcelain dolls with their cute clothing.

Lori watched the miniature kids play, running in circles and squealing with laughter. That looked like fun! She looked up at Maia. "Can I play with them?" asked Lori, bouncing on her heels. "Pleeeeease?"

Maia bit her lip in uncertainty, but Kyle shrugged casually. "Yeah, why not? They seem like the only friendly faces around here anyway."

Maia exhaled and ran a hand through her long, carmel hair, revealing the hooped earring in her ears, looking at the little kids on the road near the market in the field, and then back down at Lori. "Okay, Lori, but stay in the field where we can find you, alright? Kyle's going near the inn and I'm going to ask around in the markets. Try to ask some of the kids if you can."

"Okay," said Lori, but instantly darted away without a second glance back. Her blood pumped up with excitement as she scampered across the road until reaching the hobbit children, who had paused in their game as the strange human girl approached them.

When Lori halted in front of them, out of breath and smiling brightly, three girls and two boys gathered around her in their frilly, colorful dresses and overalls. The tiny feet were pale and fuzzy. They were a full head shorter than her, their ears slightly pointed, and their cheeks round and rosy like those baby angels Lori sees in very old and boring paintings. Though Lori had a fair amount of wavy curls in her dark hair, inherited from her mother, they were nowhere near as curly as these kids and everyone else.

Still smiling, Lori waved at them and said, "Hi! I'm Lori."

They blinked at her curiously with round blue, or green, or hazel eyes. One of the girls that wore a white bonnet over her golden curls stepped up first and said in a squeaky voice, "I'm Esmeralda. Are you a hobbit?"

Lori blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Are you a hobbit?" repeated Esmeralda.

"No. What's a hobbit?"

"We are hobbits," said one of the boys, who was fat like the ball he held in his two hands and wore a blue long coat. "I'm Toby and I'm a Chubb."

 _Yes, you are,_ thought Lori, eying at his roundness.

"I'm Halfred," said the ginger-haired boy.

"Eglantine," said the brown-haired girl.

"Rosa!" squeaked the littlest one.

"Rosamunda's my second cousin," said Esmeralda. "Her brother Ferdinand's a baby and not here to play, 'cause he's too little."

"Oh," said Lori, not knowing what the term 'second cousin' meant. "I don't have any cousins, but my big brother and sister are over there!" She turned around and pointed to where Maia and Kyle were asking around.

"Oh, you're Big Folk," said Esmeralda.

"We're not supposes to talk to you," said Toby Chubb.

"Toby!" exclaimed Esmeralda.

Lori was taken aback by that remark. "Why not?"

"'Cause you're new here and our parents say we can't talk to anybody that's not around here, 'cause outsiders are a nonsense. My mama says so."

"But that's stupid!" protested Lori. " _My_ mommy always says that meeting new people is a good thing, even if they are different. Besides, they can't tell you what to do out here, right?"

"Where's your mama?" asked Eglantine.

"In a coma," said Lori sadly, hugging her bear.

"W'as a coma?" asked Rosa.

"Quiet, Rosa!" scolded Esmeralda quietly, before turning to Lori. "Sorry."

"S'okay. She'll wake up someday. I know it."

"We can still talk to you. Our parents don't need to know."

"Thanks! I think it's still silly. I can talk to anyone whenever I want and so should you!"

"Yeah….only we don't wanna get trouble," said Halfest quietly.

Esmeralda shook her head with a cheeky smile, mischief glittering her eyes. "Oh, don't worry. I always wanted to meet a human and you're definitely one."

"Yeah, with you wearing shoes and all," nodded Eglantine, pointing at Lori's red cowboy boots.

"Shoes!" giggled little Rosa, sucking her fingers.

"Yeah, why?" asked Lori. "Why does everyone have hairy feet?"

"'Cause we're hobbits," repeated the Chubb, as though the answer were obvious.

"Yeah, Mama says we don't wear shoes 'cause they're nothing but extra layers that-that make you trip and fall," explained Halfred, stumbling over words hastily.

"No, they don't!" exclaimed Lori.

"Yeah, they do!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"I can run faster than you in my boots!" bragged Lori. "And I'm the tallest!" _For once. I was always the smallest in preschool._

"No, you can't!" protested Halfred.

Lori just smirked and suddenly tapped the tiny hobbit's arm, yelling, "Tag!" and then ran off. Halfred gave a sound of protest as all the other tiny hobbits started running away from him, following the human girl's lead. They didn't have to ask Lori to play with them when they already started the game.

For ten minutes, Lori was laughing and screaming loudly as ran around with the little hobbit children she instantly became friends with, not aware of the many annoyed and disbelieving glances of the grown-up hobbits around them, all prissy and overdressed. The place was still beautiful, though, and her friends were very nice even if the grown-ups weren't.

 _I still don't know what a hobbit is,_ thought Lori as she ran with not a care in the world from Toby Chubb, who was huffing and puffing behind her. She giggled and stuck her tongue back at him over her shoulder-

"OOF!" So caught in her thoughts during the game that little Lori didn't look ahead as she crashed into a larger and plushier body, the impact of her speed sending them both to the ground.

Laying on top of a mountainous dress of greens and reds, Lori lifted her head with her face heated with embarrassment, hoping she was not in trouble for not watching where she was going. Still on top of the woman, who lifted her head with her face masked in pure shock, Lori blushed and started to say, "I'm sorry-"

But the dark-haired hobbit woman's face turned brought red, her eyebrows furrowing and her dark eyes became scary as they stared at the little girl. Her large hat with giant feathers made her look scarier. In that scary moment, Lori thought she met the Queen of Hearts and that she was going to take her head off.

"OH! GET THIS RECKLESS CREATURE OFF OF ME!" screeched the woman so loudly that it shook Lori to tears. The little girl heard her brother Kyle run up from behind her, hauling her up under her arms, before pushing her behind him as the woman struggled to her feet, still ranting, "THE NERVE OF THAT WRETCH!"

As her brother started shouting back at the woman in absolute fury, Maia running up to the commotion while the whole town stared at them in shock, Lori clung to his hip tightly and turned to look for her little hobbit friends, but found that they scattered away.

She didn't blame them. This woman was scary enough to scare a wild bull away.

But even though it didn't last long, Lori had a lot of fun with those tiny hobbits, even though she still didn't know what a hobbit was.

* * *

 **Esmeralda Took is Merry's mother (age 5) and Eglantine Banks is Pippin's mother (also age 5). The fact that these two little girls are friends is exciting. I made up Toby Chubb (age 7), but Halfred of Overhill (age 9) is Samwise Gamgee's youngest uncle. Consider him the oldest child of this little play group. Little Rosamunda is aged 3.**


	3. A Real, Live Wizard! (Alternate)

**This is a quick, short one-shot that happens in the middle of the chapter "Blunt the Knives," about when Lori first meets Gandalf in Bag End. This is a special treat for you, generously asked by our good friend** KathyG **. Thank you for the suggestion! Let me know if you have more:)**

* * *

 **A Real, Live Wizard!**

"Lori, what are you doing?"

"Helping," she said. "Balin says we're gonna have a feast since there's gonna be lots of dwarves here! It'll be fun! Like Snow White!"

"It's _Bilbo's_ food, L! You're supposed to be stopping them, not helping!"

"But I don't wanna!" Lori whined, and then retreated into the kitchen before Maia could stop her. She almost ran into Bomber, who was carrying three whole cheese blocks.

Lori's face was still hot with annoyance as she scampered around the trampling boots of the dwarves, struggling not to drop the plates until she reached the table. Why was Maia being so annoying? They were going to have a party with real, live dwarves and her big sister had to suddenly act all bossy? Parties were fun! And this party was going to be like in _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves._ Lori loved Snow White, even when a lot of other people didn't. She and Maia used to share that over the old Disney movie, but right now her big sister was too all grown up to remember.

Lori pouted at the thought. _I'll show her!_

Huffing from the weight of the plates, the table just at the level of her chin, she shifted them in one arm and began placing them on at a time on the table top. Behind her in the hallway, she could hear Bilbo's complaints and even Maia speaking out. Scooting on her tip toes, someone brushed past her suddenly, causing her to wobble on her balance and plop back on her bare heels, but she gasped when a plate started to fall...only when a gloved hand swooped down and caught it.

"Careful, little one!" said a gruff, kindly voice, placing the plate on the table. "You ought to carry less than what you have!"

Thinking it was a dwarf she hadn't yet met, Lori looked up...and up...and her eyes went wide as saucers when she found a tall, old man staring down at her. He had a long gray beard, wore aged gray long robes, and had gray-blue eyes with that shined with merriment and wisdom. The air suddenly buzzed like a set of sound waves, sending vibrations through her bones and frenzy under her skin. He was definitely not a dwarf!

She must have been gaping at him, because the old man chuckled before bending down near her level to meet her eyes. "You must be with Miss Maia and Master Kyle. Their sister, I take it?"

Mouth still dropped like a codfish, Lori nodded.

"Well, that is splendid to know! There is most certainly a beautiful resemblance there. Allow to introduce myself. My name is Gandalf. Gandalf the Gray. What is your name, child?"

A smile then grew on Lori's face when her surprise drifted away. "I'm Lori," she said cheerfully. Reaching over from the nearby chair, she pulled out her teddy bear and held it up. "This is Teddy! He's one of my bestest friends ever!"

Gandalf nodded, eyes twinkling in instant adoration. "Well, he's quite a handsome little fellow. It is a pleasure to meet you both." As he said this, he hid the fact that he too felt something stir within this little girl, as it did from the elder one and the boy. Something very strong and powerful, vibrating from their presence like some very deep magic.

But this little girl's mystical presence was even more powerful than Maia and Kyle Dainson put together. There were few left in Middle Earth that Gandalf knew that carried such a powerful impression, those with the Light of the Eldar and others (like himself) who were Maiar that had taken mortal forms. The one thing they all had in common was that a deep magic took place. Something connected very closely to the works of the Valar.

This made Gandalf very curious, indeed. Either these children were not as they seemed, or they carry something that has affected their very beings.

"Are you a wizard?" asked Lori, breaking his brief train of thought.

Gandalf smiled and tilted his head at the tiny human child. "I am very much so. At first glance, most claim me to be a vagabond or a salesman, but not you. What made you guess?"

Excited by her correct answer, Lori took the wizard's hand and pointed down the hall. "There's a pointed hat and a big staff near the front door. I guessed that those are yours and only wizards keep those things!"

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh! Daddy told me stories that have wizards in 'em all the time! He said that some are called Istari, but I don't know why!"

"That is correct, my dear! Your father is wise, indeed!"

"Yeah, he is! Are ya gonna eat with us?"

"I certainly am."

"Yay!" With that, Lori leapt forward and hugged him tightly around the waist, her cheeks pink with excitement. "I can't believe you're a real, live wizard! Like with magic and all!" Lori squealed, biting in her palm. "Like in _King Arthur!"_

Though having no clue of what or who that was, Gandalf laughed as the little girl hugged him and blinked when the chattering of the dwarves shuffling around brought him back to the present. "Ah, yes, better make sure everyone is present," he muttered, before pulling away from Lori and putting a hand around her tiny shoulders, telling her up close, "We best continue to help these fine dwarves, and I believe we are going to need more plates, my dear. These dwarves can sometimes forget to limit their portions. But a few at a time, if you would please?"

Still smiling, Lori nodded, causing Gandalf to laugh. "Okay, Mr. Gandalf!" she squeaked, before putting her teddy bear back on the chair and running back into the pantry. In her mind, Lori was still screaming with excitement.

She still can't believe she met a real, live wizard! She even felt it in the air around him. He must be really that powerful! Or was that it was like around all wizards? She didn't know, since she never actually met one before. She wondered if Harry Potter, Dumbledore, or Merlin are the same way.

She even wondered if, after dinner, she can ask him to do some magic. Even Maia couldn't complain about that.

 _When we go home, and Mommy wakes up, and Daddy comes home, I'm gonna tell 'em all about Gandalf the Gray!_ She could wait to tell them. That she met a real, live wizard!

Meanwhile, the gray wizard was still shaking his head in with silent laughter as he first arranged the utensils on the table. He still pondered on the strange Dainson siblings' supernatural frenzy, but kept it in mind to ponder over later. Right now, he had over…..how many dwarves now to list down?

"Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf?" Turning around, he looked down and found the silver-haired dwarf, Dori, holding a tea set on a tray, smiling politely. He poured a cup. "Would I tempt you with a cup of chamomile?"

"Oh, no thank you, Dori! A little red wine for me, I think," said Gandalf, as he stepped out into the hallway of dwarves coming back and forth from the pantry.

Gandalf's head brushed the chandelier when he came from the kitchen. Once he hastily steadied it, Fili and Kili passed by him with the barrel. "Ah, Fili, Kili," he greeted, and they smiled in returned. Then the wizard started counting all the dwarves passing around him, "Oin, Gloin! Dwalin, Balin! Bifur, Bofur, Bombur! Dori, Nori...ah, Ori!" he exclaimed as another young looking dwarf with short hair and a short beard wrestled with Bilbo over a basket full of tomatoes. Bilbo won, of course, and gave Ori a glare before walking away.

The axe-headed dwarf went up to Gandalf, grunting some foreign language to him while thumping his arm. Kyle had stopped trying to stall the dwarves and frowned at him weirdly, before exchanging glances with Maia.

"Yes, you're quite right, Bifur," agreed Gandalf, as the dwarf walked away. "Now, we appear to be one dwarf short," the wizard murmured to himself.

"He is late, is all," Dwalin spoke up, who was leaning casually against the wall with a pint of ale. "He traveled north to a meeting with our kin. He will come."

"There's _more_ coming?" Kyle said in disbelief. "No offense, but we're kinda loaded."

"No, no, just the one," assured Gandalf, touching Kyle's shoulder, "and once he arrives, everything will be explained."

"Mr. Gandalf!" A muscular, gray-haired dwarf with hair and beard pulled into tight braids came up to the wizard. In his hand was a tiny glass of wine. "A little glass of red wine as requested. It's got a fruity bouque."

"Ah," Gandalf smiled and took the glass, raising it in salute, "Cheers!" He took one gulp and it was gone, but he seemed content with its fruity taste.

* * *

 **Just so you know, Lori meeting Gandalf happened at the same exact moment Maia met Fili, so I chopped up part the scene and replaced it:) Lori is fun to write about. She is very small, but has a big heart. I adore little kids!**


	4. Tech and Magic Don't Mix

**Have you ever read The Dresden Files, about a modern day wizard named Harry Dresden who lives in Chicago and solves supernatural crimes? Awesome books and a favorite character of mine. This is inspired by his world facts: wizard magic and modern day** **technology don't do so well together. Magic is much more advanced than tech:)**

 **This is the chapter when the Dainsons explain some of their technology to the Company, which includes the cars, their camera, and Kyle's gameboy.**

* * *

 **Tech and Magic Don't Mix**

Kyle had repeated the hunting process with Kili and Fili, and then occasionally Dwalin. It went on for days, as they crossed through the Old Forest. Kyle, Maia, Bilbo, Ori, and Lori even had the privilege to sit by and watch the two young dwarves train with their weapons against Dwalin, watching wide-eyed swift and deadly they fought. Dwalin, as he expected, was as scary as heck, swinging his two axes in a way that made them practically twirl in his fingers.

Fili had twin swords that propelled and parried against Dwalin's axes, the blonde dwarf spinning, blocking, and dodging with sure footing, his normally cheerful face twisted into a blank and frighteningly focused look that made him seem unreadable and absolutely deadly. Watching him took Maia's breath away. It was surprising that there was not scratch on either dwarf's body, considering how realistic their fight looked.

When he was done, Fili winked at Maia, making her blush. Kyle saw the exchange and glared at him, but the dwarf turned away.

When Kili then jumped in, his own sword out, lighter and more lithe than most of the dwarves, he proved to be as swift and agile as his brother, though he showed more expression that made him look angry and determined. The effect, however, had usually gave Dwalin the advantage to read Kili like an open book and the elder warrior kept knocking the youth down from either under his feet or head over heels.

Dwalin kept pointing out to Kili that he was practically handing him an opening, causing Kili to growl irritably and his brother, the Dainsons, and Ori to laugh. Bilbo just smiled shyly, trying not to laugh for Kili's sake.

Dwalin grunted and then readied his axes when Kili got back to feet to ready his sword. "Again, lad," he said, and then added over to Kyle, "Oh, and Master Dainson! You best watch carefully, see how its truly done!" Kili gave Dwalin a shocked look, clearly not liking the idea of being used as an example, especially when he kept getting knocked over in front of them.

"Cool!" smiled Kyle, liking the idea that Dwalin may be considering to add him in the training exercises...if they offered him a sword first.

"Good grief!" muttered Maia, who was clearly nervous about the idea of her thirteen year-old brother fighting a fully grown and fully trained warrior.

Afterwards, while everyone took a breather from the training grounds, Maia, Kyle, and Lori had started describing to the dwarves some of their world. A few gathered around as Maia did most of the talking, while Kyle was playing his DS gameboy and Lori was coloring in Maia's sketchbook. They were talking about cars, and the way Maia described how much metal they were made of, running on gas and charge, along with glass windows and black rubber tires, there was not a single member of the company whose eyes weren't popping out of their skulls. To them, it must seem strange.

In the meantime, Maia had also shown them her digital Pixel camera, and asked Bilbo (who was already familiar with the device from their days in Bag End) to show the dwarves how it worked as they passed it around to look at the past photos through the slideshow that back for two years. Some were of the views of Texas and random animals from the wild, some of her friends, Lori's friends, and even Kyle's friends. Most of them were of her family.

As the dwarves were passing around the camera (Dwalin holding it at the tip of his fingers while eyeing it, Oin squinting at it, and then Nori finally grappling it for observation with Bifur, Bombur, and Dori looking over his shoulders in awe), Maia had already finished describing freeways and gas stations. "So, these 'cars' or 'trucks' that you _drive,_ " said Fili, slowly with a frown, trying to comprehend what they were explaining to him and the others. He exchanged an uncertain glance with Kili, and then both looked at Maia and Kyle sitting across from them on a log. "By their description, they sound...well..."

"Advanced!" finished Kili, but not without a little awe.

"Dangerous," added Ori nervously. "There is no horse, dogs, or cattle to pull them, is there?"

"Nope, they're completely mechanical," said Maia with a smirk. She dug into her purse and pulled out her truck keys, jingling them in view. "These are the keys to our truck. Without them, it can't start."

"Unless you hot-wire the car," said Kyle, not looking up as he played his gameboy. Kyle began to using the backup charger for his DS gameboy, having run out of charge a while ago.

Maia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but it's kind of illegal. And even if it wasn't, not _everyone_ can do it, Ky."

"Well, _I'm_ gonna. Might be useful someday, not to mention awesome!"

"Fine, but don't come calling me to bail you out of jail when they catch you," retorted Maia, and Kyle made a face at her, while Dori called out, "Hear, hear!" Fili smiled, and Maia caught his eye, before looking away, trying not to smile or blush too hard. Lori's words nights ago still echoed in her mind like a song on repeat and the moment felt a little awkward.

 _Fili likes you, Maia. He likes you a lot...and I think you like him, too._

Feeling a little unsure, she started observing Fili at the corner of her eye while the blond dwarf started looking at the camera pictures with his brother and the others. She bit her lip. Yes, Fili was handsome, if people went for that sort of thing...which was a _good_ sort of thing, for a dwarf...and he was kind, open-minded, friendly, smart, bad-ass when he fought, and it felt like she already knew him her whole and yet wanted to know more...She resisted the urge to smack herself upside in the head. _No, no, no, NO! Stop it! Do_ not _go there! It's only been a couple of days and you're starting to lose it! It's your hormones talking and nothing else! But is it? NO! Nuh-uh. Get a grip, Maia! Focus! Whatever you're feeling right now, it doesn't matter. We're still going home. Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa are waiting._

Maybe that was the problem. Whether or not her baby sister was right, Maia liked Fili. She liked him too much. More than she should. Surprisingly, more so than when she was attracted to Bryce. Though sitting still with these thoughts swirling wildly in her head, her skin burning and her heart racing every time she looked at him, she felt hopeless.

 _Fili is a friend,_ she kept telling herself. _A really good friend, but still a friend._

"When are ya ever going to show us how that toy of yours works?" Bofur asked, sitting next to Kyle,

Kyle scoffed. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?" he said, as he was shaking his DS and patting its edges before continuing to play. Bofur shook his head with a goofy smile, his hat flopping. Kyle sighed dramatically and then scooted closer. " _Okay._ Fine, but I'm not gonna get into too much detail, because even _I_ don't know." Frowning as his double screens started to go on haywire, he patted the gameboy against repeatedly his palm, while Bofur pointed out, "Is it supposed to be like that?"

"No," said Kyle with gritted teeth, still shaking his DS. "Geez, it's like the screen has going haywire, and I'm in the middle of a boss..." At that moment, Gandalf was walking back from looking ahead and began to sit down with the group.

"Nori, are you alright?" asked Ori with concern. When Maia turned back to look at the others, she saw the ginger-haired thief frowning slightly at the screen, tilting his head slightly. His expression was strange, and his face slightly paler as if he were trying to solve a word-cross puzzle from a newspaper.

"I..." Nori began, scratching the back of his neck. The thief shivered slightly. "I'm not quite sure, actually…Man's got an icy look about him, is all...He looks a lot like Master Kyle." Nori glanced at Maia, who shrugged in agreement.

"And Miss Maia looks like the woman," added Bombur. "So does little Miss Lori, with eyes and the curls."

Maia knew they were looking at a picture of her parents and felt her smile drop. Whatever the picture was, her parents had been present together, being husband and wife, mother and father. Dad was home and Mom was awake. Times had been better, when the family wasn't so broken now.

Not that she would tell them that, nor would Kyle or Lori. Not yet.

Thorin, who had been sitting at the far side of the crowd (to ignore the Dainsons conversation, most likely), watching carefully as he was sharpening his sword, came over and sat beside them. He held out a hand for the camera. "May I?" Nori nodded and handed it over.

Then not helping herself, she peeked over at Thorin...the uncle who gave her a nervous jolt with that intimidating glare of his...whom to her surprise was holding the camera at eye level with a thoughtful frown on his face. When he looked up, he turned the screen towards her. "Is this your mother and father?" Thorin questioned her.

Looking at the screen of her parents standing together in the middle of their horse farm (which had been still filled with horses at the time), Maia sighed and nodded. "Yeah."

"When was it?" said Thorin. It was a simple, curious question, but Maia was determined to have him like her a little more.

"About a year and a half ago. We owned a horse farm once," she told Thorin, and the others. Fili and Kili already knew this. When she met Fili's eyes, he nodded a little with a smile. Bilbo and Lori next to her were also looking with understanding. Looking at the screen, seeing both Laura and Arthur together made Maia sad. Laura's smile was blinding and carmel brown curls shining in wild ripples beneath her white cowboy hat; Arthur's smile was small and his dark hair was pulled back, but his icy blue eyes were twinkling with happiness. "Anyway, that was my mom and dad's anniversary. I took that picture before they went out riding. I remember Kyle, Lori, and I planning a surprise dinner when they got back, but it was really just a homemade pizza and a popped Sauvignon Blanc." Seeing the dwarves' blank faces on the last part, she smirked and said, "Wine."

"Ohhh," the dwarves nodded, most of them smiling at the thought of having a little alcohol for a change. Thorin raised an eyebrow at her, and then looked back at the camera...before frowning at it. "The picture is disappearing," he said.

"What?" Maia started and got up, taking the camera from Thorin. Rotating the camera in both hands, she frowned while watching the little screen haze and buzz, the picture of her parents dancing and flashing. Disturbed, she pressed OFF for the device with a beep before something would happen. "Weird," she muttered. "There should be plenty of battery charge on here..."

"Same problem here, sis," announced Kyle, who still shaking his DS irritably. He cursed as the screens started buzzing. " _Come on!"_

Gandalf, who was sitting right next, was smoking his pipe while watching the boy toss his game around. "It never helps to fix a device that way," he told the boy, spicy smoke coming out of his nose and mouth.

Kyle then paused. He looked at the wizard. Then back at the gameboy. Then back at Gandalf again. Then Kyle slowly started holding his DS toward the wizard.

The gameboy started buzzing louder than ever, the tech beneath its shiny, plastic surface starting to heat up rapidly...then the screens automatically blacked out.

"Holy crap!" Kyle jumped to his feet and faced the wizard, holding the DS out of reach now. "It's you! You're making our tech go nuts!"

"Hmm..." Gandalf smiled thoughtfully. "This is interesting, indeed. As you should know, Master Dainson, our world has none of your 'tech,' as others would indeed mistake them for magical artifacts. I wonder if there is something about my presence that doesn't bode well with your objects of desire."

"Your magic?" said Bilbo, while Lori gasped in fascination.

Gandalf poked his pipe in the hobbit's direction. "Precisely. I cannot take fault for what I am compared to what another object can do." He raised his bushy eyebrows at Kyle, who glared and crossed his arms. "I think it would be wise if you would play your... _gameboy_ around me. At least until I have acquired more practice."

Kyle scoffed. "No kidding. I'll probably be lucky that I have any charge left." To test his theory, he turned the on and off switch of his DS. When it remained blank, he groaned loudly and threw it in the grass, "DANG IT!"

"So, I suppose yer not going to show us how your gameboy works?" said Bofur, sheepishly, while the other dwarves couldn't help but laugh and Kyle had to resist the urge to give them all the finger, his face red as a tomato. Even Thorin smiled a little, before rolling his eyes and stomping off.

"That's one way to get your head off the screen, little bro," teased Maia, while Kyle picked his game back up miserably. "So, tech and magic apparently don't mix! Who knew?"

"Oh, shut up," exclaimed Kyle, before pointing at Maia warningly, "and keep our camera _away_ from Gandalf! Seriously!"

As he stomped off, Maia couldn't resist calling, "Hey, Sparks! Just wait a few more months and you can charge again!"

"Screw you!" Kyle called back, still marching away, and Maia laughed, while the other dwarves frowned at that apparently dirty remark.

It wasn't long until they started moving again.

* * *

 **Up next, I'll update a deleted scene with some growing romance between Maia and Fili. A personal request from the 100th reviewer,** BloodyTink **:) I was going to write it anyway, but still. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll update very soon! Review soon!**


	5. Aiming the Knife

**Here is a short deleted scene between Maia and Fili, right after the chapter "Windows of the Past." This is when Fili starts teaching Maia knife lessons, but in secret. There is a strong chemical stir between them at this point.**

* * *

 **Aiming the Knife**

The travel down the mountain hill of the lonelands was a slight struggle. Maia was still flushed with warmth from last night with Fili. While riding the pony through the forest, unaware of the words exchanged in between the dwarves, Maia kept thinking about her practiced "night watch" with Fili, talking to him practically all night while gazing into the starry sky. About braids and cowboy boots. Knives and guns. Friends and family.

She especially remembered when Fili described his mother.

 _"My mum was considered stronger than even many dwarf men," he had told her, after their discussion with weapons and beads. "Feisty and headstrong, but kind and wise. She's like Kili, in a lot of ways, but without much of the recklessness. Adventurous, though. She never minded the open skies and the wild forests, even when she lived in Erebor. She was also considered the most beautiful of the dwarrow dams in her time, though her beard was shorter than most."_

 _"_ _Her beard?!" Maia nearly fell over._

 _He chuckled at her dumbfounded expression."Aye, our women also have beards."_

 _"_ _You're kidding!"_

 _Fili flipped the knife in his hand casually, smiling at her a little wickedly. "I am serious. The women of our race are few, but when they are seen, they are often mistaken to others as the men." He leaned toward her, while Maia also leaned to listen. "There is also this saying among the other races that there are no dwarf women," he said with raised eyebrows, "and that they just spring out of holes from the ground!"_

 _Maia laughed aloud at that, and Fili laughed with her, but not before scoffing with a wave of his hand. "Which is, of course, ridiculous!"_

 _Maia then paused, studying him a little curiously. "Are beards considered an attractive appearance in your race?"_

 _Fili smiled at her gently. "On a dwarf, aye."_

 _"_ _What about a human?" Maia picked up the locks of her hair and pulled them over her jaw and her upper lip, grinning at him cheekily. Fili burst out laughing again, and Maia joined him, tears in both their eyes._

 _"_ _Well, does it look good on me or what?" Maia joked, still holding the hair against her face. Although something in her fluttered while waiting for his answer. "Would I make a pretty good-looking dwarf like this, Fee?" She called him the nickname Kili gave him. She didn't know why this question mattered, but she was really curious to know what Fili really would think of her. She never thought too much on her looks recently, until now._

 _Fili just looked at her with a gentle expression. He then smiled, his blue eyes twinkling as he reached over and took her hand away. Her hair fell from her face and swept over her shoulder like a curtain, revealing her smooth face once more. His fingers brushed her smooth chin ever so lightly, but enough to send heat through her bones._

 _"_ _I think," he said slowly, "I would not change any of your looks. This way, I can see your face."_

 _Touched, Maia swallowed and nodded. When gray eyes met blue in that moment, they had not realized that the sun was already appearing on the horizon. In the morning, for once, Maia did not feel awkward at all. She felt...beautiful. Fili made her feel like that._

Thinking about it now, Maia may have already knew that. From the dream she had a week ago. But from the way Fili described his mother, Dis-long raven-black hair and sapphire eyes like Thorin, bearing the wisps of a black beard along her jawline-she recalled to her shock that she may have seen Dis.

When she looked ahead, she saw Fili riding beside Kili. Her heart ached when seeing Kili look so down. He seemed to ride further away from Thorin, who kept his gaze stoically up front. Maia blew through her lips in frustration. Guess neither uncle or nephew were going to have a talk for a long while. Whether it was pride, or uneasiness, or maybe both, Maia hoped for both their sakes that they put their stubbornness aside and get over the problem quickly.

Fili then glanced back. When his eyes met hers, he smiled. Maia smiled back, feeling herself glow.

* * *

Late in the evening, Maia lay awake, staring up into the open sky of stars, feeling a mixture of fascination and wakefulness. Having napped most of the day on Gandalf's horse, she couldn't sleep.

She stood up, listening to everyone snoring around her. Kyle and Lori were passed out on either side of her bedding, their long day of riding through the wilderness having exhausted them. Listening for any sounds in the night, hearing nothing but crickets and owls, she fished out her pepperspray from her bag, tucked it into the pocket of her jeans, and started walking out. Wearing a tank top, she didn't bother bringing her jacket. It wasn't that cold out tonight.

The air was cool at nighttime, even when it was in the summer. Maia only wanted to take a short walk from the camp, avoiding the eyes of the watcher, who happened to be Kili.

She kept thinking about two things: what would truly happen when they reached Erebor and what had happened the night before between Fili and her. Her hand brushed tree bark and picked at it, before closing tightly.

 _"_ What are you doing, Maia?" she whispered to herself.

"Maia, where are you going?"

Maia jumped around in surprise to see Fili coming to her. "God!" she gasped, trying to calm her heart. "Sneak much?"

Fili held up his hands, smiling. "Apologies. Sneaking is practically second nature to me."

Maia raised her eyebrows at him and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, really? Thanks for coming clean!"

"Seriously, Maia, what are you doing?"

Maia shrugged and paced the ground, her foot kicking away some leaves and dirt. "Couldn't sleep. I needed to think. Does Kili know you're out here?"

"Aye, and he knows you are, as well." Sighing, Fili stepped forward exasperatedly. "Maia, it's dangerous to be by yourself, away from camp. Especially when you are not armed."

"I'm armed." She pulled out her pepper spray for him to see. Fili frowned.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Pepper spray. Spray this into your eyes and you'll be feeling a whole world of pain." She pocketed it like sheathing a sword and patted it. "They're pretty damn effective during an assault. Trust me."

Amazed, Fili chuckled and shook his head, rubbing a hand across his beard. "Impressive tool, Miss Dainson, but I don't believe a little bottle of chemicals will be a match for a pack of orcs when they pop out of the tree and charge you in numbers with weapons of defilement. What you need, my lady, is a blade. But then again, you are a woman."

She blinked at this. "What's that supposed to mean?" demanded the offended Maia.

"It means that fighting is no place for females," said Fili mildly. "It's unnatural and a bad mix."

Maia scoffed in disgust, glaring at him. "Unbelievable!" she exclaimed. She pointed at him. " _You…._ are unbelievable! Would it shock you if I said that my world has plenty of kick-ass female fighters, or that maybe I learned some self-defense? The main reason girls learn how to fight is to protect themselves, just like the guys." She didn't mention that it's been a while since she actually practiced self-defense.

"The men can protect the women," insisted Fili, eyes narrowing.

Shaking her head, Maia crossed her arms and boldly stepped forward until she was up close to Fili, who was looking up at her without waver. Like the look of a prince. "But then what would protect the women from the men?" she challenged him.

Fili shook his head briefly, frowning up at her. "You know the Company and I would never harm you," he said quietly.

"It's not you and the dwarves I'm worried about, or even Bilbo or Gandalf," argued Maia softly, "it's the rest of the world. Orcs. Bandits. Rapists. Thieves. Monsters. Whatever the hell you've got out here. The point, Fili, is that while we're on this journey, I don't want to be helpless if either me, Kyle, or Lori is in any sort of trouble. Somebody told me that the best way to protect somebody is to teach them how to protect themselves."

"And who would this wise speaker be, Miss Maia?" said Fili slowly.

Pause. "My dad," she answered.

Jaw clenching, Fili stepped closer to her face with eyes of blue fire. "The father who left you?" he said softly.

Maia's gritted her teeth. "Yes, Fili, the _kidnapped_ father who left me and my family for God only knows what…..but in this case, he is right."

There was a long pause between them, dwarf and human meeting each other's glares within a breath's distance of each other. Though Maia struggled to keep the hard facade, her annoyance still flaming, but she wasn't sure which of them would break first.

Then Fili smiled. "Then I guess we better get started, my lady." He stepped back and walked away toward a tree, saying, "How about a knife-throwing challenge?"

Maia was surprised. "Right now?"

Fili turned, unsheathing a knife from his belt, flipping it twice over in his hand before catching the handle. Then he flipped it to the blade and offered her the hilt. "Right now. What say you, Lady Maia?"

Maia smirked and accepted the knife. It seemed a little heavier than it looked. "Since when am I a lady?" she said. "It's not like I'm royal, or aristocratic."

"Well, you force me not to call you 'miss,' and you are right," explained Fili, as he was pulling out his knives one by one, handing a few over to her. "Lady Maia suits you better. Your wisdom earns you the title, and your beauty."

"Flattery's not gonna win you this game, _Prince_ Fili," she warned him playfully. "You already fooled me once. What would your uncle say?"

Fili shrugged. "Nothing, if he does not know." Without warning, he threw the knife at the side. The blade embedded in the tree trunk fifteen feet away with a thud.

Amazed and slightly shaken by its lethal dexterity, Maia pointed out, "Don't you think it's hardly fair you've had plenty of practice with this?"

"Humor me with your aim and we will talk about practice," came Fili's smug reply.

Maia widen her eyes at him with mock-astonishment, before turning toward the tree with the stuck knife. Knowing she was not as expertized as the blond dwarf beside her, she extended her arm with one eye open to aim the knife toward her intended target, which was to be within an inch of where the other blade embedded.

She threw the knife. The blade landed narrowly three feet from Fili's knife. Not as deeply, but at least it remained stuck into the tree.

"Not bad for a beginner," praised Fili, circling around her to view her toss from around her shoulder. She could feel him very near the base of her back, his presence sending thrills up her spine. "You have a strong throw, but you are too tense in the arms and legs. Your feet are off-balanced."

Maia shook her arms to loosen them. "I'm a little rusty."

Fili tilted his head at her. "You mean you have done this before?"

She shrugged casually. "Maybe once or twice. But we definitely play a lot of darts back at home. My mom, when she's painting, uses darts to pop balloons filled with paint over a large white canvas to create a portrait of crazy illustrations. Sometimes me and Kyle join her."

Fili nodded, clearly impressed. "You have the skill, though it could use a few corrections. Let's start with the basics. Are you right-handed or left-handed?"

"Both."

He looked up her in surprise. "Really?" She nodded with a small smile. "What a coincidence! So am I."

"Huh. Makes sense. You use twin swords. After seeing you fight with them, you'd have to be good with both hands."

"Agreed, though I am more curious to see how your hands work. I have seen you with a pen, but not with a blade. What would be your most well-used hand?"

"Um…right."

"Then your left foot should be within a shoulder's width more up front than the other. Here..." He placed his large hands over her hips to turn them slightly. They were rough and warm. The ghost of that touch lingered to her face...Maia blushed and focused on her eyes on the tree ahead, trying not to seem nervous as he continued to adjust her body position the right way, his hand lingering to her arm. "Now relax your arm, but so much that it should fall limp. The blade, whether it be sword or knife, should be the extended part of your arm, the reach of your hand, and the compass to your mind. But strength and direction comes from the shoulder..." His other hand slid up her back until covering the base of her right shoulder, causing her to shudder. "The fluency depends on how you hold your weapon. Place your forefinger along the spine of the blade..." His hand then moved along her arm dangling at her slide, sliding along the little hairs that tingled from his fingers, until they covered her hand, moving her smaller forefinger in place. "Relax them slightly, but don't release. That comes later, when you have focused directly on the mark you have chosen. Keep your eyes and your mind directly on the mark. Never waver." His hair and bearded mustache brushed her other shoulder, as dwarf and human looked ahead, though their focus was not entirely on what they both saw. "Do you see it?" he whispered.

"I see it," whispered Maia, not looking away she directly her focus solely on her previous target...only her mind slowly made it become something other than just a spot in a tree. It was as though her mind was slowly forming into another one, looking through the eyes of her teacher. Of Fili.

She let him guide her arm, which bent and moved upwards at a ninety degree angle, perpendicular to her shoulder. Then he tilted her wrist backwards, keeping her toes facing forward. "When you throw, remember to snap your wrist forward and flick your finger when you do," he told her, gripping her wrist briefly. "The rest relies on your aim and the strength in your bicep. The finger along the knife will help give you a straight aim and, depending on your momentum, will hit the target without spinning."

Fili then stepped back slowly, giving her room. The air felt cold without him there. "Remember to breathe," he said, "aim, and then...release!"

Maia threw the knife, putting all muscle, her mind, and her will into her arm, remembering to flick her wrist and relaxed her fingers.

The blade landed with inches next to other knife, penetrating the bark almost as deeply. Such a sight sent a deep heat of excitement through her legs and arms, and Maia let out a thrilled laugh. Fili was smiling, also letting out a breath. He looked equally as excited as she. "With more throws, you will find yourself doing it..." He looked at her, taking in her happy state with joy, feeling his own heart lift at the sight of her, and breathed, "Naturally." He tried not to think about what the knife represented for him. It made matters too painful for him to bear. She looked even more beautiful when in triumph.

Maia turned to smile brightly at him, an excited frenzy radiating through her. "A few more?" she asked. She then noticed that he was staring at her, looking happy and...something else. "Are you okay?"

Blinking, Fili nodded and cleared his throat, before taking out another knife. "A few more rounds," he agreed, "and then more for other nights in private, if you don't mind. You can surprise your brother and sister."

"And the dwarves," added Maia with a smirk.

If Kili was teaching Kyle some archery, then it only made sense that Fili teach her a few skills of his own.

That and, as she watched Fili throw his own knives, Maia liked to watch the strange fluency of his actions. How his muscles seemed to show, yet somehow revealing more graceful sleekness that nearly matched his younger brother's as he threw his blades with relaxed familiarity. The sight was intense. When his knife landed on his intended target, puncturing through the bark until the hilt itself almost touched the surface with a THUD, she felt a throbbing tingle flare between her legs. _Oh, God._ She let out a breath. Now she was really glad that that these would be private lessons, because if Kyle and Lori saw her be this way now, they wouldn't let her hear the end of it.

"Your turn," Fili said, turning toward her, his triumphant grin evident. He looked like a true warrior now, and short or not, it felt like she had a mountain to climb with this one.

Maia blinked and then swallowed the dryness in her throat, before nodding. "You're on," she replied. Fili bowed at her slyly and gestured toward the tree in invitation. She rolled her eyes with a twitch of her lips and turned, tossing her hair back over her shoulder and rolling her neck. Yeah, she can relax. She can be her own boss. She can do it again.

They would continue their lessons at nighttime, and no one else...except Kili...needed to know.

For now.

Trying to ignore Fili's intense gaze on her back...then again, allowing it to fill her with adrenaline, she turned around and threw her knife.

THUD!

* * *

 **Maybe I should change the rating, because what I just love how sexy the way things are playing out between these two;) Am I right?**


	6. Le Hannon

**Here is the deleted bath scene for Lori from the chapter "Curious." Imagine it taking place in between Kyle and Maia's scenes.**

 **I meant to make three other deleted scenes in between this one and the last one, but I already finished this ahead of time and it seems a lot of you want this one right away:) Oh, well! I did say the scenes might be out of order. I hope you enjoy our little Lori.**

* * *

 **Le Hannon**

The elleths who helped set her bath were very pretty, Lori thought happily and with wonder. Beautiful, like princesses, even though they were only the servants of Lord Elrond's great household. When they led her away from Maia, who told her she would only be across the hall when either of them were done freshening up, Lori held the hands of two female elves that were taller than her own mommy. The one on her right had black hair with violet eyes while wearing a blood-red dress and silver circlet, while the one on her left was blond with blue eyes while wearing a light green dress with a similar circlet (reminding Lori of Tinker Bell). Both had straight hair that reached their waists (though these elves wore braids) and were about the same height (around 6'2, which was about as tall as her daddy), but the fact that they had on different colors and slightly different sized ears made the five year-old squeal on the inside as she practically skipped in between them.

In her mind, not only were they real life elves, but it felt like having her own life-sized Barbie dolls.

The tub in the other bedroom, white and gold with its open walls and polished furnishings, was large and oval-shaped, made of amber-bronze that shined with golden plates. It even had a fancy, old-fashioned facet that started pouring a smooth line of hot, steaming water. Very much like the way Bilbo's tubs do in Bag End. Lori wondered where the water came from, since Middle-earth seemed like the middle ages and should be making baths through buckets of water boiled in a kettle. She had even seen it in Disney princess movies. That, and Kyle had asked that question aloud once when they stayed in Hobbiton.

Oh, well. Maybe rich people in Middle-earth can afford to build their own plumbing. And she was really excited to have a bath. She missed playing with bubbles.

The blond elf knelt down in front of her. "Raise your arms," she ordered the little girl, while taking her skirts. Her face seemed to glow up close. There was not a single freckle or zit on her. She looked like one of those pretty women from the front covers of Maia's magazine at home, only Lori was very sure none of these elves were wearing make-up.

"What's your name again?" asked Lori, raising her arms as the blond elleth helped pull over her dirty hobbit dress to reveal her spotted leggings, while the black-haired elf dumped bathing condiments into the watering tub, the splashing mixtures creating mounds of fluffy bubbles. "I forgot, and I'm supposed to be good at names, too!"

The blond elf smiled, before helping her out of her boots, leggings, and undies. "I am Vendethiel," she told the child gently, her voice soft and musical like bells. She nodded to the other, who strode out of the room to bring the other oils to Maia's tub. "That is Allasse. The one who will be fetching you a cleaner dress is Maerwen."

"I like your names!" said Lori, as she walked over to the tub, her little bare feet padding on the marble floor. "I'm Lori," she added, looking up the elleith with wide, twinkling eyes.

"Short for Laureline, surely?" asked Vendethiel, curiously, while rolling up her sleeves. In that moment, the elleth with the chestnut hair and hazel eyes, wearing a rosy-pink dress, entered with a sweeping glide while carrying two folds of dresses over her arms. If Vendethiel wore a blue dress instead of green, and Allasse a green dress instead of red, the cycle would be complete and Lori would have called them the Powerpuff Elves.

Lori shook her head. "No, just Lori, but that sounds pretty! I wish that was my real name!" she said.

When Allasse lifted little Lori into the tub, the water burned her sticky soft skin for only a few moments, making the little girl whimper slightly, before the heat settled into warm, floating bliss. The five year-old girl giggled and started splashing around the bubbles playfully. She took a deep breath and ducked her head under, waited a long minute (she was always good at holding her breath for a long time) before resurfacing with a gasp, a pile of foamy bubbles topping her little head.

"I'm an old lady!" giggled Lori, pointing at the white bubbles in her soaked hair, and the two female elves in the room smiled and laughed with her. Their laughter sounded like musical bells. Lori gathered a bunch of bubbles in her small hands and blew them toward Vendethiel, watching their clumps floats in midair over the elf's face and dress. "Those are for you!" she squeaked. She always remembered Mommy or Grandma getting annoyed whenever she did something like that, but from the way Vendethiel laughed softly at the child's playful stroke, or the way Maerwen watching with toothy amusement, it seemed that they have been without the company of a small child far too long and therefore didn't mind the mess.

While Lori kept splashing around, also splashing the elleths more as they were struggling to scrub her head with shampoo in the process, also soap on her arms and back (Lori giggled and shrank a little from their hands, being very ticklish), Allasse returned from her short trip of offering the bathing supplies for Maia in the other room. Lori knew her big sister can bathe herself. In fact, before they came to Middle-earth, Maia only ever showered for as long as Lori existed.

Maybe people grow out of baths, she thought sadly. Just like people can grow out of toys...

 _Teddy._

The elleths scrubbing her must have sensed her cheerful glow dim a notch. "What troubles you, little one?" asked Maerwen.

The little girl watched her hand glide through the bubbly surface gloomily. "I miss Teddy," she mumbled.

"Teddy?"

"My bear. He got eaten by a big, scary warg. I lost him. Daddy said Teddy would protect me and I lost him." Her voice cracked. Lori now looked like she was going to burst into tears, sitting there all soaked and small, her curls sagging into a long, wet mop around her hair. Being all soaked made her look even more younger and tinier, especially when having the sad, puppy look on her baby face.

Vendelthiel ran her hand over the child's wet hair. "What was your father's name?" she whispered with gentle compassion.

"Arthur."

"And where is he now?"

"I don't know. He's ran away and then got kidnapped a long time ago," said Lori, shrugging with her eyes down, not noticing the slight widening of all three ellths' eyes when they heard this. "Maia and Kyle don't think he's coming back, but I do. 'Cause he loves us!" Then Lori looked up, blinking her brown eyes up at them. "I remember he told stories about you. We thought he made 'em up, but you're real! His stories are true! You even speak our code talk!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"And what is this 'code talk' you speak of, child?" asked Allasse, raising a curved eyebrow.

"The different language that elf Lord Elrond spoke with Gandalf!" said Lori. "I understood some of it, but not all. I think Gandalf said 'my friend, where have you been.' I think. I didn't understand the rest, but it was our code talk, meaning Daddy's stories are real!"

"The code talk you are referring to, Lori, is called Sindarin," explained Vendethiel, scooping up a bowl of water and pouring it over the child's head.

Lori shut her eyes with hunched shoulders as the water ran over her and spat some out. "Sindarin?" she repeated.

"Elvish, but only the most common of the few others. There is also Quenya, the language of the elves of Eldamore, a land in the realm of Valinor."

Lori frowned thoughtfully. "What's Valinor?"

"The void of the immortals and godlike creatures that fares far beyond our dwelling."

"Oh...like heaven?"

There was a pause. "Yes, of course," said Maerwen, deciding to humor the child. The brunette elf then gestured to the dresses on the nearby sofa. "Would you like to see your dress, Lori?"

Instantly, Lori brightened and nodded. "Yeah!"

The dress Maerwen selected was tiny, which was Lori's size; a light violet brocade that shimmered blue when the skirts fluttered. Sleek and graceful, like the elves' dresses, but kiddie sized. It was one of the prettiest dresses Lori had ever seen. She gave Maerwen a wide, toothy smile. "Le hannon!" she said. Saying 'thank you' was her easiest word, since she used it the most at home.

Maerwen laughed and nodded to the little girl in acknowledgement. "No veren, hiril vuin," she answered fluently.

Lori practically leapt out of her tub with a gasp. "Oh, I know what that means!" she cried, bouncing in the water, more saying slowly with a concentrated frown and puckered lips that made the elves smile with humor, "It means...it means 'Enjoy yourself...my lady.' Right?"

Vendethiel nodded with praise. "Very good. Now come, let us get you dried up and into your dress. Maerwen, would you bring the Lady Maia her dress?" Maerwen nodded and gathered the larger dress, which was sky-blue and flowed like a flying curtain in the air as she carried out the door.

After studying its beauty, Lori beamed while Vendethiel lifted her out of the tub and wrapped her in a towel.

Once her hair was less soaked, Allasse helped her into the purple dress, tying its laces, while Vendethiel brushed her dark hair and started carefully braiding it into what Lori recognized as the fish tail. Maia had done it to her plenty of times before.

"So, tell us, Lori," said Vendethiel as she brushed Lori's hair, "what is a small child like you, who knows Sindarin and yet has never met an elf, doing out in the wilds with a company of dwarves?"

Lori shrugged and answered truthfully, "We are just trying to go home, but to do that, we have to go on an adventure. First, we got in Bag End….." She started telling her story, while the elleths braided her hair and smoothed out her dress. Little Lori enjoyed every moment of it, and was really, really hungry.

The whole time, she tried hard to not think about Teddy. Because every time she did, it would only make her feel sad again.

 _I wonder how Daddy knew how to speak Elvish?_ the little girl kept wondering.

* * *

 **And there you go. Each Dainson sibling has a short scene before going to dinner, so I hope this scene fits in with the story.**


	7. An Unexpected Party

**I have been told by** KathyG **that "A Real, Live Wizard" didn't fit in between the lines of the story, and looking at it more closely, they were right. Okay, so "A Real, Live Wizard" is an alternate version, and this is Take 2 and he real deleted scene. Hopefully, I got it right this time and it meets everyone's expectations. I even changed the title to its original.**

* * *

 **An Unexpected Party**

As Dwalin, Balin, Fili, and Kili were setting up the tables in the hallway, Lori had heard the commotion from the front door and ran across the sitting room to check it out. Her mouth dropped open when she saw her brother and sister meeting eight more dwarves standing in a thick group at the front door, all bowing, saying their names, and chanting "At your service!" as formally as saying, "Nice to meet you!" They also added "Milady!" to her sister, Maia.

Lori felt her heart jump excitedly. She hoped they would call her that, too.

More dwarves. More fun. She muffled a squeal into her teddy bear.

"Oh, uh, nice to meet y'all!" said Maia, forcing a nervous smile. "I'm Maia, and this is my brother, Kyle!"

"Oh, aye, Kyle Ditto," grinned the dwarf wearing a large floppy hat, nodding. "The one who cushioned our landing! Much obliged!" Kyle opened his mouth, and the dwarves started laughing loudly at his expression and Maia covered a snigger. Lori laughed. _Ditto?_ Where did that come from?

Someone that sounded like Kili in the other room shouted, "Oi! Over here! Give us a hand!" and the dwarves heartily moved to meet the others, coming either straight down the hallway or in the sitting room where Lori backed up to make room. Over their heads, Lori's eyes widened and her mouth gaped when she saw a tall, gray fellow standing at the front door, greeting Kyle and Maia with merry smile. He had gray long-robes, a long gray beard, and pointed hat, while holding a staff that was curled liked a root at the end.

 _A real, live wizard!_ She was about to scurry over when the new dwarves blocked the path while on the way to meet their friends. The one with the floppy hat and funny goatee smiled down at her, "Well, hello there! Who're you, little one with the bear?"

"I'm Lori, Lori _Dainson,_ and this is Teddy!" she said, and then gave a deep, dramatic bow, squeaked loudly, "At your service!"

"Ah, Dainson! I see now! Bofur, at yours!" The hatted fellow bowed back. Lori loved watched the flaps of the hat move at each jerk of his head. She wondered if it would fit her.

An extremely large, fat dwarf with a thick, ginger, braided loop of a beard stepped forward and bowed in a deep voice, "Bombur, at your service!" while another dwarf with a messy black beard and crazed eyes sided with him and bowed with a slow, grunting noise that sounded like _"Bi-furrrr_." Lori gasped when she saw something embedded in his forehead.

"Is that an axe?" she blurted out. Bombur nodded, while Bifur tilted his head at her with that eccentric gaze that made her shiver a little. "Is he okay?"

"Our cousin here will be fine," Bofur waved if off and patted Bifur on the back affectionately. "The injury is years old, affecting his speech and a quarter portion of his mind, but all the above, he's good with bairns. Just don't touch the axe, and he's your friend." Bifur grinned down at her along with his cousin, and Lori smiled nervously back.

She was then introduced to "Dori!", "Nori!", and "Ori!", who were clearly all brothers by the same pointed looks in their facials and similar braiding styles, but at the same time very different in personality and age. Dori was clearly the oldest, his silver hair tied back tightly into a bun and a beard concealed into a tiny clasp, but he had a broad muscular frame, a cute button nose, and twinkly blue eyes as well as daintily, polite voice.

Nori, the second oldest, was interesting to look at, having his ginger hair and beard both styled like the upper tips of a starfish, his nose pointed and his hazel-green eyes gleaming slyly like that of a vixen, but he did not appear wicked. Sly maybe, but in the fun sort of way that clearly opposed his older brother, Dori.

It was Ori who Lori felt the most comfortable with, being clearly the youngest by many years with a youthful, freckled face hidden under a short, wispy beard and cropped, mousy hair that reminded Lori of a muffin top. He had twinkly brown eyes and a shy smile, wearing a long sweater and knitted gloves.

"My names rhymes with y'all!" cheered Lori, bouncing up and down.

Then finally, she was introduced to the elder dwarves, Oin and Gloin, who were also brothers. Oin looked much older than Gloin with his long gray hair and beard, wrinkly face, and owl eyes that were clearly sharper than his hearing, because he had to hold up a trumpet to his ear while Lori had to shout her name a third time for him to hear. He had smalls sacks on his belt and he carried a long staff.

Gloin had a thick ginger mane of hair and beard that practically covered a mean-looking face, making it hard to tell whether he was smiling or frowning, but his voice sounded gravelly like his every word came out with a growl, much like Dwalin's. Though it made Lori feel a little intimidated, she relaxed when Gloin actually patted her on the head gently and called her lass. It wasn't the "milady" Lori wanted, but she beamed inside all the same and decided to give Gloin a chance, knowing this must be his mild side. Maybe in time, she will give Dwalin and Bifur that same chance.

When they were called out again from the dining room, the dwarves quickly scuttled over to start helping with the furniture. Some were already digging into the pantry, while others started grabbing the chairs.

Shuffling Teddy in her arms, Lori was in the dining room with them, watching the scattered commotion around her in amazement. She wondered how many dwarves there were. _Like Snow White and the seven dwarves!_ When she turned around, she saw the wizard hang his hat and staff on the peg near the front door, before he bent over and started walking through the sitting room to join the group.

 _He's just like Merlin in King Arthur! And Dumbledore from Harry Potter!_ Her mind squealed so excitedly that it escaped her lips as she scattered around the passing bodies of the dwarves and stopped in front of the tall old man, who was surprised by her sudden appearance.

When she was close to him, the air suddenly buzzed like a set of sound waves, sending vibrations through her bones and frenzy under her skin. It caught her by surprise, but thrilled even more.

"Excuse me, mister, are you a real, live wizard?" she asked him with wide brown eyes.

The old man smiled down at the tiny human child and chuckled, while before bending down near her level to meet her eyes. "Indeed I am," he said. "Most mistake me as a vagabond or salesman at first glance, but not you. What made you guess?"

Excited by her correct answer, Lori pointed down the hallway. "You put your hat and big staff near the front door. Daddy told me stories that have wizards in 'em all the time! He said that some are called Istari, but I don't know why!"

"Ah, that is correct my dear! Your father is wise indeed." His gray eyes quickly observed her. "You must be with Miss Maia and Master Kyle. Their sister, I take it?"

Still smiling wide, Lori nodded.

"Well, that is splendid to know! There is most certainly a beautiful resemblance there! Allow me to introduce myself." He bowed his head to her. "My name is Gandalf. Gandalf the Gray. What is your name, child?"

Lori smiled wider. "I'm Lori," she said cheerfully. She held up her bear. "This is Teddy! He's one of my bestest friends ever!"

Gandalf nodded, eyes twinkling in instant adoration. "Well, he's quite a handsome fellow. It is a pleasure to meet you both." As he said this, he hid the fact that he too felt something stir within this little girl, as it did from the elder one and the boy. Something very strong and powerful, vibrating from their presence like some very deep magic.

But this little girl's mystical presence was even more powerful than Maia and Kyle Dainson put together. There were few left in Middle Earth that Gandalf knew that carried such a powerful impression, those with the Light of the Eldar and others (like himself) who were Maiar that had taken mortal forms. The one thing they all had in common was that a deep magic took place. Something connected very close to the works of the Valar.

"Are ya gonna eat with us?" asked Lori.

"I certainly am."

"Yay!" With that, Lori leapt forward and hugged him tightly around the waist, her cheeks pink with excitement. "I can't believe you're a real, live wizard! Like with magic and all!" Lori squealed, biting in her palm. "Like in _King Arthur!"_

Though having no clue of what or who that was, Gandalf laughed as the little girl hugged him and blinked when the chattering of the dwarves shuffling around brought him back to the present. "Ah, yes, better make sure everyone is present," he muttered, before pulling away from Lori and putting a hand around her tiny shoulders, telling her up close, "We best continue to help these fine dwarves, and I believe we are going to need more plates, my dear. These dwarves can sometimes forget to limit their portions. But a few at a time, if you would please?"

Still smiling, Lori nodded, causing Gandalf to laugh. "Okay, Mr. Gandalf!" she squeaked, before putting her teddy bear on a nearby chair and running back into the pantry to fetch some plates, trying to avoid the trampling footsteps of the dwarves. In her mind, Lori was still screaming with excitement.

She still can't believe she met a real, live wizard! She even felt it in the air around him. He must be really that powerful! Or was that it was like around all wizards? She didn't know, since she never actually met one before. She wondered if Harry Potter, Dumbledore, or Merlin are the same way.

She even wondered if, after dinner, she can ask him to do some magic.

 _When we go home, and Mommy wakes up, and Daddy comes home, I'm gonna tell 'em all about Gandalf the Gray!_ She could wait to tell them. That she met a real, live wizard!

With Balin's help, she collected a pile of plates in both arms, grunting from their weight, and started carrying them across the hallway.

"Lori, what are you doing?" It was Maia, suddenly appearing before her in disbelief.

"Helping," said Lori. "Balin says we're gonna have a feast since there's gonna be lots of dwarves! It'll be fun! Like Snow White!"

"It's _Bilbo's_ food, L! You're supposed to be stopping them them, not helping!"

"But I don't wanna!" Lori whined, and then retreated into the dining room before Maia could stop her. She almost ran into Bombur, who was carrying three whole cheese blocks.

Lori's face was still hot with annoyance as she scampered around the trampling boots of the dwarves, struggling not to drop the plates until she reached the table. Why was Maia being so annoying? They were going to have a party with real, live dwarves and her big sister had to suddenly act all bossy? Parties were fun! And this party was going to be like in _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves._ Lori loved Snow White, even when a lot of other people didn't. She and Maia used to share that over the old Disney movie, but right now her big sister was too all grown up to remember.

Lori pouted at the thought. _I'll show her!_

Huffing from the weight of the plates, the table just at the level of her chin, she shifted them in one arm and began placing them on at a time on the table top. Behind her in the hallway, she could hear Bilbo's complaints and even Maia speaking out. Scooting on her tip toes, someone brushed past her suddenly, causing her to wobble on her balance and plop back on her bare heels, but she gasped when a plate started to fall...only when a gloved hand swooped down and caught it.

"Careful, little one!" said Gandalf, placing the plate back on the table. "You ought to carry less than what you have!"

Lori nodded, feeling better with the wizard giving her that funny look. "Okay," she said, and then hurried back to the pantry to follow his advice. They had a party to make up, and even Maia wasn't going to stop her!

* * *

Meanwhile, the gray wizard was still shaking his head in with silent laughter as he first arranged the utensils on the table. He still pondered on the strange Dainson siblings' supernatural frenzy, but kept it in mind to ponder over later. Right now, he had over…..how many dwarves now to list down?

"Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf?" Turning around, he looked down and found the silver-haired dwarf, Dori, holding a tea set on a tray, smiling politely. He poured a cup. "Would I tempt you with a cup of chamomile?"

"Oh, no thank you, Dori! A little red wine for me, I think," said Gandalf, as he stepped out into the hallway of dwarves coming back and forth from the pantry.

Gandalf's head brushed the chandelier when he came from the kitchen. Once he hastily steadied it, Fili and Kili passed by him with the barrel. "Ah, Fili, Kili," he greeted, and they smiled in returned. Then the wizard started counting all the dwarves passing around him, "Oin, Gloin! Dwalin, Balin! Bifur, Bofur, Bombur! Dori, Nori...ah, Ori!" he exclaimed as another young looking dwarf with short hair and a short beard wrestled with Bilbo over a basket full of tomatoes. Bilbo won, of course, and gave Ori a glare before walking away.

The axe-headed dwarf went up to Gandalf, grunting some foreign language to him while thumping his arm. Kyle had stopped trying to stall the dwarves and frowned at him weirdly, before exchanging glances with Maia.

"Yes, you're quite right, Bifur," agreed Gandalf, as the dwarf walked away. "Now, we appear to be one dwarf short," the wizard murmured to himself.

"He is late, is all," Dwalin spoke up, who was leaning casually against the wall with a pint of ale. "He traveled north to a meeting with our kin. He will come."

"There's _more_ coming?" Kyle said in disbelief. "No offense, but we're kinda loaded."

"No, no, just the one," assured Gandalf, touching Kyle's shoulder, "and once he arrives, everything will be explained."

"Mr. Gandalf!" A muscular, gray-haired dwarf with hair and beard pulled into tight braids came up to the wizard. In his hand was a tiny glass of wine. "A little glass of red wine as requested. It's got a fruity bouque."

"Ah," Gandalf smiled and took the glass, raising it in salute, "Cheers!" He took one gulp and it was gone, but he seemed content with its fruity taste.

* * *

 **This is a fixed up version from "A Real, Live Wizard," containing some of the same words, but in different order.**

 **Here's for all you Lori fans and please let me know if I got it right:) Thank you,** KathyG!


	8. Lori's Rant

**Hey y'all! Merry Christmas!:D**

 **Literally just got back from a vacation trip, where there is no internet whatsoever, and am updating ASAP! Sorry this took so long! Most of you wanted the deleted scene of Lori having it out on Thorin, so I really hope this is the deleted scene y'all hoped for!**

* * *

 **Lori's Rant**

 _Great,_ thought Maia. _We've crash landed into a world of elf-haters!_ She expected a fiercely protective Lori arguing all evening once the little girl heard this piece of news. No doubt the kid overheard Thorin, and was probably crushed that elves were not the goody two-shoes she always thought them to be. _I know how you feel, sis._

* * *

Lori had been silent for a long time.

Everyone was unpacking their belongings while Fili and Kili were leading the ponies in pairs toward the edge of the forest. When Gandalf had stormed off in anger, Lori was worried. She had never really seen the usually friendly, twinkle-eyed wizard look that infuriated. She wondered what exchanged between him, Thorin, and Maia in the farm house.

But when she heard the heated argument between the Dwarf King and her sister, Lori listened with growing shock and dread of how much Thorin and the dwarves despised the elves.

If there had been anyone who had been disconcerted with the usually rambunctious little girl's deafening silence, Bilbo was the first to show it when he stepped in front of her sitting, hunched form. Her little arms were wrapped around her skinny legs, folded tightly to her chest whilst her knees and dark hair strands half-covered a heavy pout. Her teddy bear dangled loosely to one side.

"Lori, are you alright?"

Lori said nothing. Bilbo crouched beside her and put a hand on her tiny, frail shoulder. "Lori, you have been awfully quiet. What is it?"

"Thorin is wrong!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned at Lori's sudden declaration. The little girl stood up rapidly, hugging her bear to her chest as she stomped over to Thorin with a giant frown on her face. Thorin merely frowned back.

"Elves are not bad!" exclaimed Lori, glaring up at him. "They're good! They're cute, happy, and make toys! Like y'all do!" She looked around for emphasis, noting the dwarves sudden discomfort. "And they're magical and...and everyone's best friend! Like you guys..."

"If you had not been paying attention, child," gritted Thorin, patience spreading thin already, "elves are nothing but traitorous scum! They are greedy and ignorant, as you are simply naive!" He loomed above the fuming little girl with enough effect to intimidate the entire group. "You see not what lies beneath their pretty faces! You know nothing!"

"You're a big liar!" screamed Lori, her eyes now shining with tears. She didn't know what "naive" meant, but Thorin made it sound like he insulted her. She may be a little intimidated by the Dwarf King, like a ferocious kitten facing against an angry black bear, but she was too passionate about her topic to stand down.

Lori pointed up him angrily. _"You're_ the one who's stupid and ig-ner-ent!"

Thorin and some of the elder dwarves bristled at such disrespect this little brat was showing. If she had been a dwarfing, especially one of relation, they would have tanned her hide for not only insulting the leader of their race, but of having the nerve to call elves "good people." The term 'elf' or 'elfling' in their ways were often used as horrible insults or verbal harassments.

" _What did you say?"_ growled Thorin, raising his hand slightly, dangerously at a close enough range of hit the tiny child when hedged any further.

Kyle was behind her and grabbing her shoulder, looking _very_ uneasy with the exchange. His normally sweet, cheerful little sister was now throwing a tantrum, and doing it toward the Dwarf who had the authority to banish them from the Company if he wanted did not inspire confidence. "Okay, _Lori,_ " he said cautiously, "you really need to _calm down_. Just let it go, already..."

"No!" Lori pulled away violently. "Thorin is a BIG, FAT LIAR! Daddy said that elves are _good_ people!"

"Dad said a lot of things, L," Kyle said tightly.

"Mommy said so, too!" protested Lori insistently. " _You_ said so! _Everybody_ says so! You know I'm right!"

"As strongly as you voice your opinion, child," said Thorin, barely keeping his temper in check, "it would be wise that you would keep it to yourself, or I will lose my temper!"

Lori humphed and crossed her arms. "S'not like you haven't before!" she retorted, her squeaky voice sounding nasty. "I'm not scared of _you_!"

 _"_ _Lori!"_ This time, the little girl cringed when Maia raised her voice at her before Thorin would. The older girl stomped over and grabbed her little arm roughly. "Lor-Hey!" Lori struggled, but Maia yanked so that the child was facing her. Her gray eyes blazed with a mixture of anger, warning, and some sadness. "That was very mean of you to say. Say your sorry to Thorin right now!"

But Lori was stubborn, her brown eyes unusually hardened and her cheeks tinted red. "No!"

"Then you're gonna get a timeout! Say your sorry or you're getting a timeout."

Angry tears running down her cheeks, feeling betrayed that her brother and sister was not backing her up, Lori shook her head, her hair dancing with the fast movement. "Mm- _mn_!" She absolutely refused to let the big, scary Thorin win her argument. If she had let him win, then that meant disgracing all her favorite magical creatures, and her father's words on story. In a way, Thorin was also insulting her daddy and his wisdom. As far she knew, Daddy knew everything.

So in the end, Maia gave her a timeout and sent her to the other side of camp with a pointed finger and a scary-Mommy face. Not long after that, a silently angered Thorin ordered Nori to sit by the "Dainson youngling" and not let her leave his sight, in which the thief obeyed.

"Miss Dainson, it would be very convenient that you control that child," Thorin said darkly. "I will _not_ tolerate any disrespect to her elders, much less while I am around! The same warning goes for the two of you!"

"Hey, give us a break! She just-" Kyle started, but was pulled back by Maia, who shook her head at him before turning to Thorin.

"I-I'm so sorry! She...She doesn't understand..." Lori could just hear her big sister hastily apologizing to Thorin for her little sister's earlier behavior. Huffing in anger, she crossed her little arms and just fumed in her spot.

It was not fair!

* * *

The sun had set and the moon had risen. The crickets and frogs started chirping. The smell of Bombur's famous cooking stew was already floating in the air from the glowing fire within the hut, where the Company was gathered in a merry chatter as if the previous argument hadn't happened, making her stomach grumble.

Lori was crushed.

She was sitting on the grassy ground with her legs wrapped in her arms, hugging her teddy bear. She was pouting, tears from earlier still running down her cheeks, sticking to her hair strands.

She was so mad at Thorin right now. Mad at all the dwarves. Mad at Maia and Kyle for trying to calm her down.

How can they say that elves were _bad people?_ Elves were good! They were cute, happy, and make toys for kids, like dwarves do. They were magical and everyone's best friend. Just like Santa's elves, the Shoemakers, and warrior ones from the fantasy books and video games Kyle and Maia showed her. The ones Daddy had told her about in his stories, and even drew for her one time, saying they were tall and wise and lived a long time, like watchful guardians.

Like archangels.

* * *

 **And then begins Trollshaw:) You know where;) Sweet, little Lori is being a naughty, little kid here, but you have admire her passion to defend something she believes in, almost equaling with Thorin's own passion of hatred toward elves. Would you stand with her, or give her a spanking? Both?**

 **Speaking of elves, hope they made good gifts for you this year! The ones from the North Pole, not Middle-earth. Merry Christmas!**


	9. Nothing Going On

**This is the brief deleted of the unknown exchange between Thorin, Fili, and Kili, while the Dainsons are off having their own little family argument. This is at the beginning of the chapter "Troll Hoard," after the trolls turned to stone.**

* * *

 **Nothing Going On**

"There must be a cave nearby," said Thorin, the thought striking him as he turned around.

He then started giving orders to the Comapny. "We will split up. Half of you return to camp to recollect the equipment and check on the ponies. The others-Dwalin, Nori, Gloin, and Bofur-you come with me. There may be a hoard from where these beasts have dwelled, and more of where they come from, so be on your guard." He then turned toward his nephews. "Fili, Kili, come here."

Wincing nervously, both young dwarves obeyed, shrinking slightly away from Thorin's piercing glare.

"Do you know why we are here?"

They nodded. "Yes, Uncle," whispered Kili.

"We failed to look after the ponies as you ordered," said Fili, his eyes hardening but not meeting Thorin's, "and we carelessly put our hobbit in danger without foreseeing the risks. We realize this, and it will not happen again."

"Be sure that it does not." Thorin paced in front of them, eyes noarrowing. "But that is not all. You two had willingly put yourselves at risk when your lives could have ended there, and this time, it is not a running river that would have taken them. Kili, your actions were not heroic, but foolish. I will not tolerate such recklessness. Fili...may I ask what it was you were doing, exactly?"

Fili looked confused. "Uncle?"

"The girl...is there something that I should know?" Thorin said softly.

"Nothing."

"You call rolling on top of the girl, exposing yourself to the troll, and deliberately attempting to fight it off with your hands tied _'nothing?'_ "

"I am certain you would have done the same, Thorin," Fili said mildly, "if you had been in my place."

"Perhaps you are right, but that is not what I am asking."

Fili paused. He inwardly cringed when he realized that Kili may not have been the only one to notice his reactions around Maia. Especially when in danger of getting eaten by three giant mountain trolls.

"Whatever your feelings toward the Dainson girl, it has made you careless, and it ends now!" hissed Thorin, taking both his sister-sons by surprise. "If befriending her and her kin demonstrates such problems, particularly for this quest, then I will not allow it to continue if it ever happens again. Her life is of little worth compared to yours. Remember who you are."

"I remember, Thorin," said Fili, his face turning red with a barely controlled temper, "but what would you have us do? Protecting them from the wild is the only thing we _can_ do for them, and to abandon them now after everything would be..."

 _Disgraceful,_ the word hung unspoken.

"They are our friends, Thorin," added Kili, who was grasping Fili's arm in a tight grip.

Thorin grunted. "Very well." He eyed Fili. "But if I find anything more going on, particularly with the girl-"

"Maia," gritted Fili, "and there is not. We are good friends, that is all."

After a minute longer, Thorin finally nodded and turned to leave. "Run back to fetch the supplies and ponies. Take the others, and meet the rest of us further up the hill."

When Thorin finally left them alone, apparently willing to take his word for granted, Fili let out a breath, though his face was red with mortification.

"You alright, nadad?" asked Kili gently, though his expression was grave.

"Nay, but I will be," muttered Fili. He then added, while glaring at the spot where Thorin had been, "Now do you see what I mean, Kee? _This_ is why she shouldn't know."

"Aye," whispered Kili, but then nudged him, "but I'm still holding you to your promise."

 _While Thorin was speaking with Gandalf, Bilbo went into the trees to follow the Dainsons. Though it was his motive to make sure Maia wasn't too rough with Kyle or Lori, he mostly wanted to get away from the dwarves before they rounded up on him for his previous improvising. It only took him a minute's search before he heard their loud voices and found them arguing behind a nest of tangled roots._

* * *

 **Well, Thorin definitely had something to say to his nephews, especially to Fili. This shows strongly of why Fili needs to keep his feelings for Maia a secret. Ugh! Life can be so unfair sometimes, or rather strict dwarves king-uncles can be!**

 **Review for a Happy New Year!:)**


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